The Red Lady
by recklessdreaming
Summary: Charlie was always too powerful, she was after all a princess, born from a fallen Queen and a White night, who were the most powerful women in any realm. After being refused again and again to be taught how to use magic, she finds solace in the Enchanted Forest. Charlie soon figures out learning to control her powers and being controlled are two very different things. SQ.
1. Chapter 1

**I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I don't have a beta. All rights go to ABC except a few characters of my own creation. I hope you enjoy(:**

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Bass looked different, his eyes were still the same blue they always were but they showed a hint of sadness that were mimicked in Charlie's own, he was the same height he had always been but he seemed shorter, maybe it was the way Charlie held herself higher now or maybe six years of reflecting back on what he did had taken his once strong stature. His voice was still the same raspy voice, it sounded like the taste of coffee on a Sunday morning, Charlie had always been a coffee addict and she wasn't in the business of denying herself such a simple pleasure.

Charlie was always a force to be reckoned with, but five years of hell had made her as ruthless as the villain in her mother's tale of the kingdoms. Her hair was the same dark brown color that it had always been and she still sported the same natural waves that had spent countless nights strewn about Bass' well toned chest.

It was the first time in five years she had allowed herself to let emotions into play. No emotions had been drilled into her for five years. A spark is unable to be contained when emotions come into play, and Charlie had never started a spark she couldn't stop because of her laws. Maybe today would be the day she brought a tidal wave of flames down on herself.

"I never wanted to hurt you Charlie," Bass never was a good liar, over the course of one year Charlie had picked up on his tells, the way his eye would dart slightly to the left before he would speak or the subconscious way he would run a perfectly tan hand through his caramel color locks that more often than not, smelled like forest.

"If that were true you wouldn't have done it in the first place, Bass." Charlie avoided eye contact, she knew if she looked him in the eyes she spent three years memorizing and three years trying to forget, she would be right back under his spell.

He never needed magic to control her, his cool cerulean blues were enough. It's easy to drown in a sea of love that tastes a hell of a lot like safety, even when you know the water ahead is treacherous.

Bass took a step forward and in return Charlie stepped back. Five feet, she reminded herself. Five feet and maybe, by some miracle she could walk out of the clearing with her dignity; and her life. Not that she was afraid of Bass, it was always herself she had no control over. Restraint and resistance were synonyms that Charlie didn't hold in her vocabulary.

"I was promised you wouldn't get hurt. Gray lied to me-" It's the truth, his eyes never faltered, but it didn't stop the roll of anger filled statements that fell out of Charlie's mouth.

"Oh, he lied to you! That makes it all better then, how could I be so fast to judge? Now what was this lie exactly?" Charlie's eyes had filled with tears that were starting to cloud her once acute sense of vision. Maybe it was a metaphor, she never could see the real person Bass was when they were together. It's hard to hate someone you once loved so much.

Bass looked at the ground, his mouth opened and closed repeatedly, like gravity had taken over him for just a moment, after all when you hit rock bottom there's only one thing that can bring you down further. The silence filled the clearing like a tidal wave of guilt ready to drown them both, but one of them had a life jacket and Charlie didn't believe in second chances.

She stood there, waiting for the waves to come crashing in a rapid succession of burning lungs because maybe Bass would feel an ounce of the pain Charlie went through. Maybe getting dragged under the waves would teach him not to fuck with women forged from fire, but no such ocean enveloped them. The clearing was still the same clearing, Charlie was still Charlie, Bass was still Bass, and Charlie was still waiting for an apology and explanation that would never be good enough. The silence was becoming a pattern of theirs.

Charlie closed her hazel eyes that once lit up at the sight of his goofy, crooked grin. She wanted to turn on her leather laden heal and tell him to fuck off, but curiosity really is a killer. She found herself glued to the grass that was slowly turning to ash around her. Anger is a tricky thing and being born from a Queen and a White Knight wasn't exactly conducive to a calm demeanor.

She couldn't bring herself to say the one word, eight letters, two syllables that had been hanging off the tip of her tongue like acid for the past year.

The only sound that could be heard was the crunch of leaves beneath her leather soles. It wouldn't be long before she would feel the familiar burn of fire begin its ascent up her body and a spark in her mind that would never be put out.

"Do you remember the night you taught me the game with the deck of numbers? We played it for hours in our tent, well into sunrise, and we used acorns for money." Bass was pleading, but it sounded more like a one way ticket to a heated fight between ex-lovers.

Charlie stood silent, not willing herself to let the salt water fall, as if it would somehow stop the flow of memories that were stampeding in front of her hazel eyes.

"Poker," A small smile tugged up on the corners of her cherry red lips.

"Poker," Bass confirmed, a slight grin appeared in the corner of his upper lip, "You told me I was a lousy gambler, you called every play I tried to make. You told me never to play the game for real because I would lose everything I owned." It was true, that night had been one of many she returned to the Enchanted Forest instead of her mansion in Storybrooke, only this time she had brought a deck of cards and a bottle of jack with her.

Charlie's emotions were waging a war inside of her that any normal human being would have surrendered to at this point, "Why are you telling me this Bass?"

The silence that followed was unbearable. Charlie wanted to leave, more than anything she wanted to disappear in a cloud of smoke, but she needed to know why. It was the question that lingered in the forefront of her brain and nagged her at all hours of the night, but no goddamn reason was ever good enough.

"Because I gambled for your life," Charlie had heard a lot of submissions of guilt over the last half decade but none of them had ever evoked such a spark of emotion inside her, the red flames that danced in front of her once tear filled eyes were growing at an unnatural rate, "and I lost."

Maybe it was an ocean of flames Charlie had been waiting for after all.

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**Hey guys! This is my first fanfic and I would love feedback! This is only the prologue, the next chapter will introduce these characters as well as some of the shows characters! Swan Queen will appear in the next chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took me so long to out up this chapter, it's the week before vacation so I haven't had much time to write! Again, any mistakes are my own and I apologize.**

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Charlie had grown up hearing stories of her mothers' battles, and how magic had ultimately played a large role in the countless victories in the royal name. Magic was an ally that they had no trouble taking advantage of, but they refused to pay it back in the form of teaching another.

Magic was a significant factor in Charlie's birth; she had been conceived by it and ultimately it had been used to save her and Regina's lives.

Simply being denied to be taught how to control her natural abilities was cruel in itself. Charlie was born with the gift, she wanted to use it.

What little she had learned from her mother's books, that were once kept hidden in her mothers', office taught her creating and controlling were two very different things.

"Why won't you teach me, mother?" Charlie was fuming. Her ears matched the color of her near exact replica of the red leather jacket Emma had custom ordered for her, much to her brunette mother's displeasure. The often referred to 'piece of carcass' rarely left her shoulders. Charlie was beginning to feel the familiar burn in her hand, a burn that would soon turn into a fire that she had no idea how to put out.

It was a now common occurrence in Charlie's supposed "magic free" life. She had a temper double that of her mothers and a love for fire that it had no trouble exploiting.

"No magic." Regina moved her hands to her denim jean adorned hips, "your mother and I agreed to that years ago." Regina's glare was lost on her teenage daughter. There was no doubt that the younger face staring back at her was Emma Swan's daughter. The resemblance was uncanny. It was as if someone had take Regina's face and placed Emma's determined expression on it.

The pure look of rage on the 16 year old face was nearly the exact same expression as the one her blonde mother had sported Tuesday night when they fought over whose night it was to pick the movie. An argument that had ensued for nearly an hour and had left Emma in a disgruntled state for three days.

Regina had won, of course, while Emma's natural fight was strong, Regina was a stone. She didn't back down; not even from a silly fight on movie night. Though Charlie inherited Regina's face and hair, she received Emma's, or one could say the charming lines, fiery personality. The only place the two met was in her hazel eyes, and the way she would fight for what she wanted; what she believed in.

"It's my birthright, mother. You can't just expect me to be born from the queen and the savior, the two most powerful women in all the realms, and not have magic in my life." Charlie refused to let it go.

Charlie had never backed down from a fight before, she wasn't about to start now, especially over something she felt so strongly about. Magic was her blood right; and in some ways it was her death wish too. The dangers she had found in trying to teach herself had left several scorched trees in the woods and a painful memory of her little sister nearly burning to death.

Fire was a metaphor for Charlies what everyone said. It was her element, her unalienable power. Elements were directly related to a magic wielders ability. Regina was Earth and Emma was air, a perfect state of balance.

Charlie had yet to find another fire element in Storybrooke, or on her short visits to the Enchanted forest. Elemental code said she needed a water element to balance out, but Charlie was hardly one for rules.

Things had often caught on fire during temper tantrums when she was a child, but instead of teaching her to control it they charmed a necklace, much like the bracelet that had been used on Regina nearly two decades ago, to render her without magic.

The necklace had been removed on her 13 birthday, her mothers felt like her emotions would be in better check and she would be conscious of everything happening around her. When she was young she would catch anything in reach on fire without realizing it.

Sometimes she wished they had left the necklace on.

"That is enough, Charlotte. Stop asking questions you already know the answers too. No magic and that is final." Regina never had trouble putting her foot down on issues involving magic, which more often than not, involved Charlie. Her daughter was nothing if not stubborn.

Regina was the only one who called her Charlotte, a name she despised even more than its creator. She was Charlie to everyone else, including her blond mother, she was Lee to six year old Coraline, her little sister. A tiny, emerald eyed, blond haired girl with the biggest heart in the world. She, like their brunette mother, was an earth elemental, and currently posed no threat.

It's Charlie, mother." the venom in Charlie's voice would leave a wound on Regina's heart for the next week. Regina knew her eldest daughter hated her name, but it had always felt right, even before Charlie was born.

"Mother, I can't control it. I feel like a ticking time bomb, I could go off any minute. The last thing I want is to hurt someone, especially you, or Ma, or Coraline, but I can't stop it." Charlie was pleading with her mother now, her hazel eyes had filled with tears that were threatening to fall.

Tears would have no effect on her mother, but Charlie always had trouble controlling her emotions. The mayor stood perfectly still but stiffened, her hands holding their original position on her hips.

Charlie felt the all too familiar burn begin to travel up her arm, but refused to let it control her. The flames would swallow her whole if she let them.

She hated her mother for denying to teach her, but she would not let her mother fall victim for her little control.

Regina's face flashed with a look of pain, an emotion Charlie had rarely seen adorned on her mother's normally stoic face.

Not for the first time Charlie began to wonder what she had done to warrant her magic free life. She had to have done something.

"I never ask you for anything mother, please." Charlie's nature was to fight tooth and nail for what she wanted, but she knew how to play a game of chess better than most. Attacking a soft spot was an easy way to get past defenses.

"We are done discussing this Charlotte, do not bring it up again." Regina stood firm, her hands had left their usual placement on her hips and had turned into white knuckled fists at her sides.

Charlie's once pale skin was turning bright red, the fire ascending up her arm wasted no time engulfing her torso. There was no brun from the flames, they felt like a cocoon of safety. If asked Charlie would have compared it to the feeling of her mother's arms as a child, but no one ever had.

Charlie being safe never meant anyone else was. Fires love to spread.**  
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**I apologize for the slow chapter, but I need background information before I lead into everything. No Emma this chapter but we will see her next! And is that Henry and Coraline I spy ahead?(: As always, I love and appreciate any feedback/favorites/follows on this story! Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I know this took me forever to put up, I profusely apologize! Anyway, here it is! **

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The sharp shrill that filled the large white mansion was one that Charlie had hoped to avoid, but had expected all the same. It was nothing new, the smoke would always travel to the smoke detector before Charlie even realized she had started a fire. It was the resonating sound that brought her out of her fire-filled trance.

The smell of smoke filled Regina's nose before Emma's voiced raised above the smoke detectors, "Regina? Charlie?"

Regina didn't answer her, instead she turned on her stilettos only to find her teenage daughter's white door shut. She tried the silver knob in a haste filled motion of brute force against the lock that had reluctantly found its way to her door, to find that it had been thrown.

"Charlotte, open the door this instant," no response came from the other side, "Charlotte, please!" Regina could faintly hear her daughter's leather heels scrapping against the wooden floor. She wasn't sure which made her feel worse, the lack of answer or the smoke that was starting to thicken and obstruct her vision.

"Regina where are you?" Emma's voice was laced with worry as she fought her way through their maze of a house. Charlie's room happened to be in the very back corner, meaning it would be the last place anyone who would come to help would look for them. Charlie had moved rooms six years ago, when Coraline was born, letting her be in the room closest to their mothers.

"Please mother, just leave, the flames won't hurt me but they will kill you and Ma if you don't get out." Charlie was doing her best to focus on her breathing and trying to calm the flames that were consuming her body as well as her queen bed. Breathing was key, she knew oxygen fueled fires but this was one that could only be put out by keeping calm.

An out of breath Emma joined Regina outside of their teenage daughter's bedroom door.

"Charlie, open the damn door this instant!" Emma's forceful command rose over Charlie's racing mind and the never-ending sound of the fire alarm. Leave it to Emma to try and take control of a tricky situation she had just dipped her toe in.

Charlie stood firm on her leather and metal desk chair in an attempt to keep the flames from catching on her wooden floor. Maybe dark sycamore floors weren't her best idea.

"I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt anyone," was the mantra Charlie had been repeating to herself in a hushed tone. It was true, hurting someone was her worst fear, and in all honesty it became closer to a reality every day.

She focused on regulating her breathing, she knew if she was calm the flames would subside. She didn't mean to start the fire, but then again she never did mean too.

"Charlie, open the door before I break it down." Emma was strong, but Charlie didn't know if she was that strong. But she knew her mother would do anything to protect her children.

"Just give me a minute. I can do this," Charlie stepped down off her chair and closed her eyes. "I can do this. I don't want to hurt anyone. I can do this," Charlie whispered to herself.

The flames began to diminish around her. It was like she thought, calm emotions equaled no fire.

Outside the door Regina and Emma stood side by side, both clueless as to help their daughter. On one hand Emma wanted to break down the door, but she wanted to give her daughter this, she wanted to give her the chance to control her magic.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Regina asked barely above a whisper. She had to be okay. They couldn't lose her too. She had to be okay.

Of course she will be, she's our daughter," Emma returned with a small smile playing at the edges of her lips. If anyone could do this it was the daughter of the Queen and the Savior.

"We need to put the necklace back on her, she's too powerful like this," it was Regina suggesting it this time. Years ago it had been Rumple who had come up with the plan. He had always taken a keen interest in Charlie's magic, wanting to teach her at a very young age. When Regina and Emma refused her knew the only other option was to contain her.

"Or Rumple could teach her. She is too old for the necklace. I don't want her growing up to hate us because we denied her natural abilities." Emma spoke softly, but loud enough that it could still be heard over the continuous alarms. She knew how Regina felt about teaching Charlie magic, but she also knew that if they denied her, they would lose her the day she turned 18.

Regina's jaw locked, she turned her attention back to the white door as she said, "No. No magic. We decided that after the accident. I don't want her to have the power to hurt anyone else. She doesn't remember the accident, but I do." Everyone remembered the accident, except Charlie herself. She was too young.

"I think about it every day Regina. You weren't the only one caught in her flames. She needs control or this will happen time and time again." Emma spoke forcefully to her wife, tears threatened to fall for her emerald eyes. Yes, teacher her daughter would dredge up memories, but it could also give them a chance to make new ones.

Regina whipped her head around to respond but instead was greeted with the sound of their daughter's door being unlocked. The two dropped the topic, this wasn't something Charlie needed to hear.

The duo were met with the face of their daughter, looking angry and sullen all at once, "I told you I need control. I could have killed you." She looked pointedly at Regina.

Charlie pushed passed her mothers and ran down the hall. The fire had stopped but it left the smell of smoke everywhere and a ringing in Regina's ears that would take years to forget.

"I'll follow her," Emma spun on her heel in pursuit of the visibly upset brunette. She left behind a touchy subject and a wife with emotions waging a war inside her.

Regina watched Emma's blond locks bounce as she sprinted down the still echoing hallway.

The raven haired mother faced her daughter's door once again, only this time it was wide open. The door was pure white, a stark contrast to the scene beyond it.

She walked into the light room wearily. The room was obviously decorated by someone with a taste like Regina's; simple blacks and whites with splashes of red thrown in. Much like her own bedroom had been before she married Emma. Now her room had taken a turn to represent both her and the sheriff.

Charlie's once white and black flowered comforter had scorch marks about it. A picture of her and Regina that had previously been on her nightstand was on the floor in a heap of broken glass and burning pillows.

"What the hell have I done," Regina let slip from her lips, "What the hell have I done?"

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**I hope you enjoyed the small glimpse into Charlie's magic, and a little bit of information as to why Regina refuses to let her learn magic! Any ideas on what the "accident" could be, I would love to know! Is that the enchanted forest I see ahead... hmmm... it just might be(;**

**Let me know what you guys think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Guys! Sorry it took me 3 months to get this up, but I do hope you enjoy. I apologize for any mistakes, they are all my own. All Rights go to ABC.**

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Emma was fast, as in she had chased down dragons, flying monkeys and drunk towns people fast. But for the life of her she couldn't find her daughter. She followed the long road for miles, thinking she had some idea of where Charlie was going.

Charlie ran track in winter and spring, she was the town's fastest sprinter, not that she had much competition. Most of Storybrooke's inhabitants traveled back to the enchanted forest after the portal was opened. Few had stayed, but some did. There were only 12 students in Charlie's class, she was number one. Regina and Emma were proud but Charlie knew it wouldn't be this way if there were more people in the school.

The blonde stopped mid sprint at the town line. This was it, this was as far as her daughter would have gone, meaning she must have entered the woods at some point. Something Charlie did often but didn't tell her mothers about. It was her safe haven; a place to be alone with her thoughts.

Emma cursed under her breath. If Charlie was in the woods there was no way to find her alone. Her tracking skills were rough around the edges despite Snow and Red's attempts to teach her. She preferred looking for people in a town or city, somewhere she could find a trace, not somewhere the only witnesses she had were trees.

Emma weighed her options, she could go into the forest and search for her fleeing child or she could go to the enchanted forest forest and employ her wolf-friend's help. Ruby would ask questions, but not as many as Snow, meaning she was a safer bet.

First things first, she needed to go home to Regina and tell her what was going on. Regina would worry herself into a state of panic. She always did when she didn't know where her children were.

With a wave of her hand Emma was back in her overly large house. With her head hung in shame she set out to find her wife, and explain why she had come home alone.

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After the final battle between Zelena and Regina a portal had been permanently opened. It was hidden in the woods of Storybrooke to ensure those from the outside world would not stumble upon it. As an extra security measure Snow and Charming had guards posted on the other side, to keep outsiders out and enemies in.

Charlie stood in front of the two trees that served as a walkway between worlds. She knew that they would allow her to cross, she was a princess after all, the Enchanted Forest was her homeland. She could pass through the protection spell no problem, it was the guards on the other side she was worried about. If her grandmother found out she was there her plan would be ruined. If general Sand was on duty she would have no chance, he was always a tattle tail, "concerned about the well-being of the kingdom." More like he was trying to impress the Queen in the event that the King should die.

Snow would send Red after her, there was no way Charlie could hide from her aunt, at least not on her own. A cloaking spell would hide her from the wolf's keen senses but Charlie only knew one sorcerer; Rumpelstiltskin. He would give her the potion no problem, but Charlie didn't have much to offer and she would rather be found than in debt to the dark one.

Charlie turned back to the woods that bordered the town she once considered her home. She didn't know if this was it; if this was the last time she would stand in these woods. She always planned leaving at some point, but never after a fight with her mothers and without saying goodbye to Coraline wasn't how she imagined it.

But her mission was set, she would find a teacher, she would learn to control her magic and then maybe she would return home, only when she was completely in control.

She would prove her mothers wrong.

Charlie took a deep breath and stepped through the trees that lead to her magic home. There was never any feeling when passing through it, it was a simple step to the other side.

The air on the other side was always clearer; it made her lungs burn when she would return to Storybrooke and breathe in the sea fumes. There was nothing quite as calming as fresh air.

Charlie's deep breaths were interrupted by the sounds of swords being drawn. She knew the drill, from the back she could be mistaken for anyone. Once she turned around and began to speak they would know exactly who they were threatening.

"Put the swords away boys, I am here to visit my brother. No one is to know I have come through, especially not the Queen." She looked pointedly between them, she was relieved to not see the face of General Sand staring back at her. This would be easier than she thought. "Do as I insist and I will reward you with gold, disobey me and my brother will hear of it."

Without a moments hesitation the guards sheathed their heavy metal swords, each with her family crest engraved on the top. They lowered their heads to the princess as one of them spoke, "Of course Princess, our loyalty is to you on this night. Not a soul will be told." It was an easy choice, if one could even call it that, the price of gold for silence was a no brainer.

Charlie nodded at her grandfather's men, "I am grateful, I will return with your riches before the sunsets tomorrow." She turned on her heel as the knights returned to their previous positions. Trusting them was the least of her concerns, she knew Regina could get them to talk, but by then she wouldn't be anywhere near the castle.

The forest looked the same as it had over a month ago, the last time Charlie had crossed the border. "Everything is the same, every goddamn thing," Charlie whispered to herself as she began up the familiar path to her family castle.

It was a worn path, used daily by hundreds of people, only Charlie didn't plan on entering through the main gates. Being intercepted by Snow and David would thwart her plans. They would turn her over to Regina and Emma in a heartbeat. She would enter by the secret door concealed by rocks. It was only know to her family and was often the door she used to get into the castle to visit her brother.

Henry had chosen the life of a knight, he wanted to be a hero like his mothers. He moved to the Enchanted Forest to begin training after his 18th birthday, much to their parents displeasure. He lived in the castle his Ma likely would have grown up in, had things been different.

Henry had been 16 when Charlie was born, but they remained close. Henry often related to Charlie's restricted life, he had been through it before. Of course Regina and Emma had never run into the trouble of having to control Henry's magic.

Charlie had been walking for nearly 20 minutes, the castle was a mere mile walk from the portal, but the door was on the western side of the wall, adding time to the otherwise short walk. Charlie never minded the walk, in fact she found it relaxing. It was a chance for her to calm down before she entered to castle.

The door was hidden from the naked eye, Charlie had figured out her own system of locating it since she was 11. It was pointless now, she could find the door with her eyes closed, but she liked the sense of childhood innocence it brought to her. She missed when magic didn't control her, anyone would she supposed.

"Three from the tree with the arrow, seven from the rock with the face," the grouping that hid the rocks was concealed with blood magic, Emma had done the spell herself. Only the royal line could enter, not that any of them had the need to enter through the door anyway. The main gate would suffice.

Charlie never viewed herself as a princess, she knew her claim to the throne was after Snow, Charming, Emma, Neal and Henry's deaths. It was highly unlikely she would ever sit on the throne and Charlie was perfectly fine with that. She had no desire to rule a kingdom when she couldn't even control herself.

Charlie stood beyond the door of the passage, _maybe this wasn't such a good idea, I should just leave before someone still catches me._ She always questioned herself before sneaking into the castle; it wasn't getting caught that she was afraid of, she knew that she could sneak in, it was the prospect of saying goodbye that she always fought against. She never knew when it would be final.

This was it, this was the goodbye she had been building up to for years. This was the closing of a chapter that had come much too soon for Charlie. Maybe this was the beginning of her own Once Upon a Time.

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"She's gone, I followed all the way to the town line but she must have turned off somewhere in the woods," Emma kept her eyes down, she refused to meet Regina's brown orbs in an attempt to delay confirming what they both knew; Charlie had gone into the Enchanted Forest. Meaning they had to employ the rest of the families help to get her back.

Though the former evil queen and the current queen had officially made peace there were still unresolved feelings. Admitting her daughter had fled their home wasn't something Regina wanted to do.

Regina licked her lips to moisten the cracked skin that had dried out while she processed the information. Emma didn't need to explain. Regina gritted her teeth as she nodded her head. It wasn't the first time they would have to track down one of their children, hell it wasn't even the first time it was because they had run away. Henry was the same way. But it was the first time magic would be the key factor.

Her voice was quiet as she spoke, "I'll get our bags, you get the weapons. We don't have time to alert Snow to our arrival, Charlie will be long into the woods by the time we get there, we need all the edge we can get." If anyone could escape into the woods it was Charlotte Swan-Mills. Regina just hoped she wasn't smart enough to cloak herself, but deep down she knew her daughter would think about that first.

Emma sprinted up the stairs in response, they kept their weapons from the Enchanted forest in a locked closet outside their room. Mainly the weapons consisted of Emma's sword, but a few other bows and daggers in case of an attack. Not that there had been a disturbance in Storybrooke in over ten years, but they liked to be prepared.

Regina remained in the foyer of her large white mansion. This was likely the only moment of sheer silence she would hear in a while. As soon as she crossed that border between world's all hell was going to break loose.

The silence was not something she was accustomed too. A teenager and a six year old made for few quiet moments. Add Emma to the mix and Regina was looking at constant echoing through the house.

Regina turned to face the stairs. Her hand shook as she reached for the banister, "she's coming home, she's coming home." It was a reassurance to herself but her voice wavered as even she could hear the uncertainty in it.

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**Hey guys! I don't know if anyone is still interested in reading this but I am back in it, the past few months have been crazy, I've been writing but I just haven't published it. I hope you guys will give it another chance. More Swan Queen is coming up! Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey big brother," Charlie said from her perch on Henry's balcony window. She always did like the view from her grandparent's castle. Henry had one of the better views in her opinion, it faced the forest and always rewarded her with a glance beyond her family's kingdom. Her own chamber rewarded her with a view she didn't care for. It faced a lake, which was pretty, especially when the sun would rise and set, but it often left her with the feeling of drowning.

"Little sister, always a pleasure to see you in my chambers when you aren't invited." Henry rarely traveled back to Storybrooke, his position on the small council and king's guard allowed for little vacation time. Not that Charlie was complaining, she was often ignored when her older brother traveled home. The "baby boy" and Cora were at the forefront of their mothers minds. Ironically when Henry traveled home, Charlie would find solace in the Enchanted Forest.

He was tall now, a height he no doubt earned from his father. He towered over his mothers and Charlie, who, much to her distaste, was the same height of their brunette mother. Another trait she reluctantly inherited.

"You look good," Charlie was the first to start.

"You look tired," Henry could never lie to Charlie, a fact she loved, he was blunt but it was refreshing. Her parents often kept secrets, despite their promise to never lie to their children.

Charlie turned her torso back to to the open view as she brought her legs to hang over the edge. There was something freeing about the height, she felt weightless.

"Have you ever thought about going beyond our kingdom, seeing what's out there." Charlie wasn't facing her brother, her hazel eyes were transfixed on the woods that stretched beyond her land. It was a place she would most like to visit.

Henry stood silent, an answer as good as any other to Charlie, "I have. I'd like to think I could be invisible there, no magic, no money, no crazy family controlling me. Just me."

Henry took a step towards her, he knew where this was going. He knew exactly why Charlie had come here tonight. It was the same reason as always, only this time he knew it was real. His little sister was finally running.

"I think I'm going to miss you. You were the only one I ever really trusted." Henry didn't want to say goodbye, but it was something he has been anticipating for a while now.

He had tried arguing with her, but even at age 11 Charlie had been a force to be reckoned with. Add in the stubbornness inherited from both sides of their family, Henry knew it was a losing battle. He had been the same way about joining his grandfather's army.

"Are you going to tell them?"

"Yes. They'll be here soon enough, but I expect you to be long gone by then." Henry understood her, he always had. Despite the 16 year age difference, they could have been twins.

"I suppose this is goodbye then." Charlie stepped down from her perch on the balcony railing. This was likely the last time Charlie would be inside her family castle. For a long while at least. Maybe next time she wouldn't have to sneak in.

"I suppose it is," Henry stood firm against the frame of the balcony, his sword still attached to his hip. After all his years on the guard, it was still weird to see him in uniform.

Charlie nodded her head in an attempt to reign in the tears that were so desperately threatening to fall. She had never been a fan of hugs, despite her families- meaning mainly her grandparents and Cora's- attempts to include her in a hugging fest.

It was Henry who moved forward first, his arms reaching out to grasp his sister's maroon long sleeve shirt.

"I lied before. I know I'll miss you." And that was all that needed to be said.

* * *

Portal jumping was an uncommon activity in Regina's life. She had only traveled back once a year since they were opened. While she hadn't officially been banned, she knew people didn't want her in the kingdom.

After the announcement of Emma and Regina's engagement. the pair had decided to stay in Storybrooke. The enchanted forest had never never been a home to Emma, and quite honestly, it brought back memories for Regina that she would rather not relive.

Storybrooke was safer to raise a child anyway. Charlie would never have received a full education like Henry had in the enchanted forest. Regina wanted the best opportunities for her. The same options that had been open to Henry, if only he had taken them instead of risking his life in the kings guard.

While the air on the other side had always been welcoming to Charlie, it always felt like guilt weighing down on Regina's shoulders. She could never feel regret towards her actions considering all of them had brought her her family. But the guilt was always there, all the lives she had ruined.

"Halt! Who goes there?" Emma found it annoying that there were still guards posted at the portals, and even more so that they always stopped her and Regina.

The pair turned around to face the middle age guards, who upon recognition immediately dropped to their knees. "Princess Emma, Lady Regina, forgive us for the misunderstanding."

While Emma was content to say 'forgiven' and move on, her wife had another idea.

"You will be forgiven if you do as I say. Tell me, my dear knights, has another entered the Enchanted forest on this night, by this portal." It wasn't often Regina took on her Evil Queen persona, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

The knights shared a look before the elder, the same one who had been doing the larger portion of the talking in the day, spoke, "The Princess Charlotte entered the forest not long ago my lady. She was alone and looked to be heading toward the castle."

Regina pursed her lips firm, "Did you alert Snow to her arrival?"

The elder ducked his head as he answered, "She asked us not to alert anyone to her arrival, Majesty's."

Regina nodded, knowing that her daughter might have bribed them, but also that they must have families to feed. And while the guard paid a good wager, prices had gone up since the return of the population.

Brown eyes met emerald, they still had time to find Charlie before she cloaked herself. They could get her back.

"Thank you, you may return to you post. Tell us immediately if she crosses back this way again."

Emma and Regina turned back around and set off towards the castle. The walk however, was short lived, the duo grasped hands. Drawing strength from each other they vanished in a haze of light purple smoke.

In mere seconds the couple was transported to the throne room. It took a moment for Emma to focus on the scene before her. The vast expanse of her parent's castle never failed to surprise her.

Focused on the back wall of the room were the King and Queen. The two seemed deep in conversation with a guard. Neither noticed the pair walking towards them until Regina's heels began to echo through the hall.

Snow glanced towards the former queen and current princess and ordered the guard to leave them.

Pleasantries were a luxury they currently could not afford, leaving Emma to cut right to the chase, "Charlie has run away, we know she's here in the kingdom," her next words were barely above a whisper, this was hard for her to admit but that's why she was doing it instead of Regina. For the once Evil Queen it would have been impossible. "We need your help."

There was shared glance between the King and Queen, a silent agreement to share the information that the guard had just brought forth. It was Charming who broke the silence first, "We know. She was spotted leaving the grounds less than an hour ago."

* * *

Charlie walked deeper into the forest with every passing minute. Her supplies hung heavy on her back. She had come to the enchanted forest empty handed, and while she knew she would have to travel back to Storybrooke to claim some of her rather valuable possessions, she also knew traveling back right now would only get her caught.

She kept her food supply rather light, focusing more on her weapons. Until she learned to control her magic she would be defenseless. A defenseless princess no less. Many people would pay a pretty penny for her head.

And while she may not have been good in the magic department, her weapon skills were stellar. A master bowman at age six. Her grandmother had taught her every time she came to visit while Charming taught her to wield a sword. Her skills fared well enough there, but an attacker would have to get close enough to her first, and with her bow, there was a slim chance of that.

Deep in thought Charlie came upon a clearing; she was an open target here. As she started to load her bow a light breeze broke across her cheek. The air was refreshing; freeing.

Charlie closed her eyes to savor the moment. She was free.

Charlie's breathing was interrupted by the sound she was dreading to hear; a wolf howling in the distance. Red. She thought she would have had more time.

Meaning Charlie's freedom was going to be short lived if she didn't get her hands on a cloaking spell fast.

An inner battle waged a war within her as she forced the name she never wanted to say onto her tongue. She never wanted to have to call on him, but Red's nose was the best in the kingdom.

It was with utter displeasure that commanded the name of the one wizard she knew, "Rumpelstiltskin," and waited. Though not for very long.

* * *

**Sorry I know it's kind of slow but I needed to put this up there! Any ideas what Charlie is going to trade Rumple for? Hmm... I hope to get the next chapter up in a few days, if not sometime next week! I do hope you enjoyed! I love reviews(; Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I am so sorry for the wait and this chapter really isn't the best so I might end up going back and fixing it, but I hate making you guys wait! I apologize for any mistakes. **

* * *

The royal family stood firm on the wall of their castle. The stone seemed to be wearing under Emma's feet as she shifted back from left to right. For the life of her she could not understand how her wife stood so regal as they waited. Their daughter was running, her godmother chasing her daughter, and they stood on the wall waiting, ready to force the magic blocking necklace back on Charlie. Of all the things she had envisioned them doing to help Charlie, this was not one of them. Were they really helping Charlie though?

Emma couldn't keep the thought from lingering in the back of her mind. Bringing Charlie back would only make her resent them. They would lose her, at least while she was on the run there could still be the chance of her coming back, if they put the necklace on her she would only try to escape. Emma wouldn't make their home a prison. She would't ruin one of the only good things she had created in her life.

"We can't put the necklace on her, Regina. We can't make her our prisoner," Regina kept her eyes facing front, but that didn't stop Emma from noticing the tears that were threatening to spill. Regina understood the life of a prisoner better than most, Emma knew she didn't have to mention that to make Regina see it. Regina vowed to never become like Cora, but that was exactly what their plan was. Though their motives were different, their methods were exact.

"If we don't do this we lose her," Regina said as a single tear traced its way down an olive cheek.

"If we do this we lose her." The reigning King and Queen stood silently to the right of Emma, awaiting the couple to make a decision. Both sides of the coin would lose, but one would bring them the chance to rectify the last 16 years, they just had to chose the right one. The question was, were they willing to lose Charlie with only the chance of getting her back?

Before the pair could speak, a howl tore through the sound of the wind. Red found something.

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin appeared before her in his usual rugged state, his hair had grown long around his scaly skin and his eyes bore into her soul. He stared at her menacingly. He had spent 16 years waiting for the Princess to make a deal. One deal and he would control a power that stretched beyond even his own. All she had to say was the four letter word. He wouldn't give that up. He began the talking the way Charlie assumed these deals usually began, "and what is it I can do for you, dearie?"

Charlie knew what she wanted; freedom. Every second she waited to ask for it she was giving it up. Red would be closing in on her soon and she was determined not to go back. At least not until it was on her own terms.

It took Charlie a minute to muster up the courage to say her request, but only seconds for it to fall freely off her lips, "I want a cloaking potion, I want to be hidden from the nose of Red and the tracking of the Royal family, magic or otherwise, or anyone else I wish for that matter." She was surprised at the sheer confidence of her voice. She said a silent prayer for whatever had given her the courage to remain calm. Maybe it was the years of being raised by Regina Mills, the poster girl of confidence. Great, just another trait she inherited.

Rumple tapped his fingers together as a joker grin made its way across his face. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for since Charlie's birth. Before even, he had known since her conception how powerful she would be. How vengeful she would be. She would be an even better student than Regina had been, she would be his greatest creation.

The howling of a wolf nearby broke his trance, he had to act fast. "I will give you the spell, if only you are willing to do something for me." This was his chance. This was her future.

It was worth it she told herself. No matter what he wanted it would be worth it, "Name your price." It wasn't a question. It was a command. She was running out of time, she would agree to give him anything now.

His grin grew impossibly wider as he requested what he had been longing to for years, "Become my student. I will teach you the control you so desperately crave, and give you the freedom you need."

There was a pause, was this really freedom? Was this life worth the trade?

The sound of branches snapping cut Charlie's decision time short, Red was upon them.

This was it. A life of no control but filled with family was about to be traded for a life of control and uncertainty. It had to be worth it. It had to be. Maybe it would be.

"Deal."

* * *

The Royals eagerly awaited the call of Red. They hadn't come to an accord on the plan but they all knew at the very least they should see Charlie before she left. Perhaps reminding her that they cared would make her want to stay. But then again, if they cared wouldn't they teach her to control her magic, not force her to bottle it up?

Were they really ready to lose her? Was stripping her powers worth it? No, at least not to Emma. She wouldn't let her daughter be trapped by her hatred for her parents. Was Regina really okay with this? Wasn't this the exact thing she had been trying to avoid her whole life?

This wouldn't be her daughters prison. Emma would not be her ward. Charlie would come home on her own, she had to believe that. This wasn't a foe who had captured their daughter, this was a teenage tantrum, wasn't it? It had to be. Charlie wasn't a damsel in distress, she didn't need her family to save her. She needed freedom.

Emma understood that, better than most. Emma had her fair share of runaways as a teen. But then again, she had never gone home until she was found, until eventually she found out how not to get caught. Charlie was smarter than she was though, no doubt she already had her hands on that cloaking spell. Maybe that was best. Maybe now she wouldn't have to fight her wife on the issue. Maybe they could wait this out together, be there for each other. Be there for Coraline, and Henry if he needed it.

But the truth was, how long could they really wait for her to come home? Or had Red already found her?

* * *

**See what I'm saying about it not being the best? Anyway, I plan on getting the next chapter up within the next few days and I promise to make it better than this! What do you think, did Red find her? Is the deal with Rumple really worth it? Reviews make for faster updates!(:**


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